Eleven-year-old Tony Weaver, Jr. loves comic books, anime, and video games, and idolizes the heroic, larger-than-life characters he finds there. But his new classmates all think he’s a weirdo. Bullied by his peers, Tony struggles with the hurt of not being accepted and tries to conform to other people’s expectations. After a traumatic event shakes him to his core, he embarks on a journey of self love that will require him to become the hero of his own story.
As a mom to a five-year-old, I have spent many morning car rides listening to parenting podcasts on my way to work. Hearing parenting advice helps me find the calm I crave when it comes to knowing what to do as a parent. One of my favorite podcasts is clinical psychologist Dr. Becky Kennedy’s Good Inside. A quote she often references that I love emphasizes that while we can’t change the hard feelings our children have, we can change the aloneness they feel with them. For example, if a child mentions they feel sad about getting left out from their friends, we can acknowledge how hard that feels. Taking it one step further, we can share a time when we felt that way too. Even though we can’t change how they feel about that situation, we can make them feel less alone about it.
Social-emotional learning stories for children and tweens offer an incredibly healing opportunity for readers to feel less alone in their feelings. As characters navigate tricky interactions, relatable woes, and mental health conditions, kids and tweens can feel seen when they experience something similar. Graphic novels and comics offer a format well-suited to social-emotional learning as well because the eye-catching pictures draw young readers in and help them identify feelings based on facial expressions and body language.
So the next time a kid or tween in your life seems to be having a tough day, perhaps a social-emotional learning comic will be just the cup of cocoa they need. Below, I’ve gathered together a list of ten social and emotional learning comics for kids and tweens. Which one is your favorite?
Stop and Smell the Cookies by Gibson Frazier, Illustrated by Micah Player
Up first, I chose this social-emotional learning book for kids by Gibson Frazier and illustrated by Micah Player that’s one of my own favorites. I love the concrete examples of calm-down strategies it provides for kids. While it’s primarily a picture book, it does include a couple of fun pages with comic panels. This story stars an enthusiastic boy named Dash, who gets into some accidental and relatable troubles throughout his day, but learns some helpful tips for regulating his emotions.
Anxious by Luciana De Luca, Illustrated by Natalí Barbani
This lovely picture book about anxiety by Luciana De Luca and illustrated by Natalí Barbani also includes a handful of comic panel pages. As the girl in the story tries to do the activities she enjoys despite her anxiety weighing upon her, readers learn how to identify anxiety and manage it too.
Grumpy Monkey: Freshly Squeezed by Suzanne Lang, Illustrated by Max Lang
Grumpy Monkey books are definitely favorites for my son and me, and I love that Suzanne Lang has started writing graphic novels in the series. What stands out to me the most with the Grumpy Monkey books is that while Lang does poke good fun at Jim Panzee’s legendary grumpy moods, she also offers social-emotional themes within each story about managing anger, being a friend, or staying true to yourself. Jim has an orange he uses as a stress ball in this particular tale, and his refrain, “Squeeze, squeeze, mind at ease,” is just so catchy.
Stuntboy, In the Meantime by Jason Reynolds, Illustrated by Raúl the Third
Written by the prolific Jason Reynolds and illustrated by Raúl the Third, this epic graphic novel for tweens stars Portico Reeves, who hides a secret superhero identity, Stuntboy! Portico lives in what his mom calls an apartment building, but what he calls a castle, based on its 50 doors. Despite how much helping the neighbors keeps him busy, Portico can’t miss the increasing number of fights between his parents. Stuntboy will do what he can to navigate his worry wiggles about it, as he contends with his arch-nemesis!
Living With Viola By Rosena Fung
This heartfelt graphic novel for tweens by Rosena Fung offers a nuanced look at anxiety by personifying it. Things are hard enough as it is for Livy as the new girl at school, but on top of this, she has to deal with Viola, her anxiety that appears to her in the form of a shadowy twin only she can see. Fung crafts a poignant and memorable story by drawing inspiration from her own experiences with anxiety and growing up the child of Chinese immigrant parents.
Just Roll With It by Veronica Agarwal and Lee Durfey-Lavoie
I mean, the cover of this social-emotional graphic novel by Veronica Agarwal and Lee Durfey-Lavoie includes a D20 dice on it. Need I say more? This sweet story includes a protagonist named Maggie who has anxiety and OCD, as well as D&D vibes! Between starting middle school, finding a good afterschool club, and making new friends, Maggie tries to roll her dice to help her make decisions. Yet with the support from her family and friends, she’ll find asking for help to be the most powerful solution of all.
Buzzing by Samuel Sattin and Rye Hickman
Speaking of role-playing games, this emotional middle grade graphic novel by Samuel Sattin and Rye Hickman also features found family feels at an RPG afterschool club. This definitely feels like my new favorite niche subgenre. Self-advocacy pops up as an important theme in this story as Isaac Itkin tries to convince his mom and therapist that the best support for his OCD is his afterschool group!
Camp Prodigy by Caroline Palmer
Caroline Palmer’s charming graphic novel for tweens takes place at an orchestra summer camp and follows the adventures of two violinists there. While Tate worries about how to come out as nonbinary to their family, Eli feels crushed by violin performance anxiety. Their newfound friendship, however, just may make all the difference.
Real Friends by Shannon Hale, Illustrated by LeUyen Pham
This touching graphic memoir by Shannon Hale and illustrated by LeUyen Pham makes for a great social-emotional story for kids and tweens trying to learn how to form healthy friendships. My son just asked me the other night before school started about how to make friends; it’s a relatable question for kids and adults alike! As this is a memoir, Shannon Hale writes from the heart about her experiences with changing friendships and bullying in middle school.
The Worry (Less) Book: Feel Strong, Find Calm, and Tame Your Anxiety! By Rachel Brian
I thought I’d wrap up this list of social-emotional learning comics for kids and tweens with a fun graphic nonfiction read by Rachel Brian, author of Consent (for Kids!). Brian pairs entertaining illustrations with informative information on anxiety, helping readers better understand anxiety and learn strategies to cope with it.
I hope these heartfelt social and emotional learning comics help make an impact on the kids and tweens in your lives. For further reading, check out The Best Picture Books for Social-Emotional Learning, or dig into this essay asking Why Don’t More Children’s Books Feature Negative Emotions?
